LSE-Peking University Double MSc in International Affairs

Year 1: Peking University

At Year 1 in Peking University, students take a core course on Chinese Politics and Diplomacy and a Chinese/English language course. They can select other courses among a wide variety of courses offered at the School of International Studies|. Students can choose a total of five one-semester elective courses.They conclude the First Year of the programme by submitting a dissertation on a topic relevant to their studies which can be written in English or in Chinese and pass the thesis defence accordingly.

About Peking University

Peking University is China's oldest and most renowned university. The campus, known as "Yan Yuan"（the garden of Yan), is situated at Haidian District in the western suburb of Beijing, with a total area of 2,743,532 square metres (or 274 hectares). Standing near to the Yuanmingyuan Garden and the Summer Palace, the campus retains traditional Chinese-style landscaping including traditional Chinese structures and gardens.

Peking University embraces diverse branches of learning such as basic and applied sciences, social sciences and the humanities, and sciences of medicine, management, and education. It strives not only for improvements in teaching and research work, but also for the promotion of interaction and mutual promotion among various disciplines.

The School of International Studies, centrally located on the main campus, is the most prestigious institution of its kind in China for teaching and research in all fields of international affairs. The school has a faculty of over fifty experts on international affairs and China's foreign policy.

Year 1 Structure

Core Courses

For a total of 7 (3 + 4 for the language course) credits (obligatory for all students)

MSc Dissertation (please note that although compulsory, the Dissertation does not countcredits)

Restricted Elective Courses

Choose 2 out of3courses, 3 credits each, for a total of 6 credits

Non-traditional Security Studies. Taught by Prof. ZHA Daojiong.

International Security in East Asia. Taught by Prof. ZHU Feng.

Political Economy of Transition in China. Taught by Prof. WANG Zhengyi.

Non-restricted Elective Courses

Students must choose 3 courses, 3 credits each, for a total of 9 credits

Courses taught in English

Environmental Diplomacy

Foreign Relations of Modern China (1840-1949)

China's Relations with the Middle East and Africa

Contemporary China-US Relations

Media and International Relations

International Relations in East-Asia

Policy Making Process in China (Politics and Public Policy in China)

China's Demographic Policy

Urbanization in China

Courses taught in Chinese,中文课程

当代中国外交研究(Studies on Contemporary Chinese Diplomacy)

冷战后国际关系的理论与实践(Theory and Practice of Post-Cold War International Relations)

中国周边安全环境研究(Studies on China's Security Environment)

东北亚问题研究(Issue Studies on Northeast Asia)

民族与民族主义(Nation and Nationalism)

环境与国际关系研究(Studies on Environment and International Relations)

东南亚综合研究(Studies on Southeast Asia)

亚太地区军备控制研究(Security Studies of the Asian Pacific Region)

中亚综合研究(Studies on Central Asia)

战后中日关系研究(Studies on Post-war Sino-Japanese Relations)

南亚国际关系(International Relations of South Asia)

朝鲜半岛历史与文化研究(Studies on the History and Culture of the Korean Peninsula)

文化与国际关系(Culture and International Relations)

中国外交思想研究(Studies on China's Diplomatic Ideology)

中国外交决策研究(Study on China's Foreign Policy Making)

地缘政治与中国外交(Geopolitics and the Chinese Diplomacy)

Dissertation

Dissertation and Oral Defence (the dissertation can be written either in English or in Chinese)

Additional Information

The links below currently lead to the 2012 SIS Handbook and the 2011 PKU Orientation. The information is useful and is thus on the web site. We will update the link as soon as the new 2013 SIS Handbook and 2013 PKU Orientation become available

For more details on the LSE-PKU Programme and on studying at SIS, please check out our Handbook for International Master Programs at SIS here|.

Progression to Year 2: London School of Economics

In order to successfully progress to year 2 at the LSE, students must obtain 22 (18+4 for the language course) credits plus finish a dissertation in year 1 at Peking University. Please note that while its completion is compulsory, the PKU dissertation does not carry anycredits.

Students will progress to Year 2 at LSE upon meeting the following standards:

Students are required to achieve minimum pass grades in all courses and dissertation as formulated by PKU for this Programme.

Failure to achieve pass in any courses (including the dissertation) will lead to retaking the courses and re-sitting the exams in the following year.

In addition to passing all PKU required exams to progress to year 2, students are required to pass their PKU dissertation defence before 15th July which is the date when the progression list is sent to LSE. Students who have failed the defence in July will have another chance to defend their thesis either by September 10 of the same year or by 15 July of the following year. In the latter case, the student will not be allowed to progress to LSE in the second year. In case of a second failure to defend the thesis, the student will drop off from the programme.

PRC students who cannot achieve the English language proficiency qualifications required by the LSE for this Programme by 15th July of year 1 will not be allowed to progress to year 2 and consequently drop off from the programme. Students in their year 1 at PKU will receive visa invitations to the UK (including the CAS code) and information on registration at LSE once LSE has received the progression list from SIS/PKU in mid-July. This list contains the names of students who are qualified for progression to year 2 at LSE.

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